77,000 Federal Employees Make More Than Governors

Federal workers make twice as much as workers in the private sector.While the rest of the nation suffered through Obama’s first year in office, government workers increased their salaries by over $30,000 in 2009.
The federal compensation advantage has grown from $30,415 in 2000 to $61,998 last year. (USA Today)

That’s not all…
A new report found that 77,000 federal employees made more than the governors of the states in which they work.The Washington Times reported:

More than 77,000 federal government employees throughout the country — including computer operators, more than 5,000 air traffic controllers, 22 librarians and one interior designer — earned more than the governors of the states in which they work.

The findings, from a Congressional Research Service report requested by Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, were released at a time when public workers’ salaries and benefits are under scrutiny across the country as governments try to streamline.

CRS reviewed 2009 salary figures, the most recent available, and found 77,057 employees who earned more in annual pay than their respective governors. Of those workers, 18,351 were doctors — the highest percentage. The second-highest total was for 5,170 air traffic controllers — likely both front-line controllers and their supervisors.

In Maryland, 7,283 federal employees — about 7 percent of all full-time federal employees in the state — earned more than Gov. Martin O’Malley’s $150,000 salary. Maryland was topped by Colorado, which in 2009 had 10,875 employees who made more than the $90,000 salary of the governor, Bill Ritter.